Project Web (animal cruelty) - Samuel Bermudez

Samuel Bermudez

Amy Reynolds

English 113 B

May 9, 2012

Animal Cruelty in the Food Industry

                        Animals in the food industry are not treated with respect. These animals are confined in cages, pumped with chemicals, live in unsanitary conditions, and are abused by employees. In order to stop this animal cruelty we need to inform the public about what goes on behind the scenes of the fast food industry and change the way animals are treated in the fast food industry.

In the food industry’s factory farms one can find animals confined in cages. In a video called “Farm to Fridge-The Truth behind Meat Production” there was footage of a factory farm. In that footage you can see the cattle, pigs, and chickens in cages that are just slightly bigger than their own bodies. The food industry will argue that having animals in cages that small is more efficient and profitable because it allows them to have more animals in one area and the animal’s lack of mobility makes them gain weight, producing more meat. Although this might be more efficient and profitable the food industry fails to realize how it affects the animal. For example pigs, in the footage of the video you can see purple bruises and deep cuts with blood running down the pigs bodies. Bruises and cuts due to the pigs body rubbing against the cage. Those open cuts can get infected which will contaminate the meat after it is slaughtered.

These animals also live in unsanitary conditions. According to Michael Pollen, author for “Omnivores Dilemma” in his visit to a CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) he discovered that cattle there were knee deep in their own feces and so cramped that the cows can barely move. These conditions make diseases easier to spread among the population, which will contaminate the meat that the cattle will later provide. Chickens are in unsanitary confinement as well Elizabeth Overcast author of “Detailed Discussion of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: Concerns and Current Legislation Affecting Animal Welfare” explains how 40,000 broiler chickens (chickens raised for their meat) are confined in warehouse, the chickens live in total darkness enduring extreme heat and breathing hazardous fumes because the warehouse has no windows or an air conditioning system and the air is thick with ammonia.

 Because the cattle are pumped with hormones and other chemicals meat may become tainted. According to idausa.org animals in the food industry are pumped with hormones and other chemicals to make them bigger and fatter. They also pump anti biotics so the animals can fight of diseases. Although in the point of view of the food industry this technique is more profitable, the animals suffer because of it. Peta.org explains that “Approximately 9 billion chickens are raised and killed for meat each year in the U.S. The industry refers to these chickens as “broilers” and raises them in huge, ammonia-filled, windowless sheds where artificial lighting is manipulated to make birds eat as often as possible?” These chickens gain so much weight that there legs break because they can’t sustain their own bodies, which leaves the chicken’s parentally immobile. But this isn’t as bad as what the employees of the food industry do to the animals.

Employees in the food industry frequently abuse and hit the animals. In the video “Farm to Fridge-The Truth behind Meat Production” one can see footage of the employees kicking, whipping, and hitting the animals. I found this interesting because of there is no reason why the employees have to abuse the animals in such a way. The food industry can’t argue that this is profitable or efficient, this is just wrong. PETA explains that people abuse animals for a number of reasons. But the biggest is to take out anger out on them. Which makes sense employees from the food industry may be under stress or maybe they themselves have been abused in the past. So when the employees see animals that are going to die anyways, they see it as an opportunity to blow of some steam. But just because these animals are sentenced to death doesn’t mean that one can go around beating these helpless creatures.

Animal cruelty in the food industry is a serious problem and should be stopped at once. One solution to this problem is instead of having large facilities for animals; Polyface farming should be introduced. Polyface farming allows animals to rome free and graze in big open grass fields just like nature intended. According to Michael Pollen when he visited Joel Stalin’s polyface farm he saw that cattle, chickens, and other farm animals seem to enjoy being in these conditions where there are not confined in overcrowded warehouses or knee deep in their own feces. (Pollen.127) Animals in polyface farms are not pumped with chemicals or fed genetically altered corn, they are also not abused. What is fascinating about polyface farming is that the animals seem to take care of themselves. First the cattle graze on the farm and create waste, then chickens come and spread the waste to get to worms to feed upon. Waste makes a great fertilizer and since it has been spread by chickens on the land it will provide nutrients for the soil causing more grass to grow so the cattle can feast on them once again. Polyface farming is a great way to end the horrors of animal cruelty.

Meat is consumed by many households but many don’t realize that the meat they are consuming comes from animals that have been treated with cruelty. The animals in the food industry are confined in small cages where they can hardly move, they live in crowded knee deep in thee own feces, and to top it off they are abused and beaten by the employees that work for the food industry. But this madness can be stopped if new farming techniques such as polyface farms are introduced.

Work Cited

·         Adams, Mike. "Window cleaning chemical injected into fast food hamburger meat." Natural health news. Natural health news, 5 Jan. 2010. Web. 21 Apr. 2012.

·         Kuchment, Anna. “A Chain That Pigs Would Die For.” Newsweek, 151.19 (2008): 45-46.

·         Overcash, Elizabeth . "Detailed Discussion of CAFOs." Michigan State University College of Law. Michigan State University College of Law, 16 Mar. 2011. Web. 11 May 2012.

·         Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore’s Dilema. United States of America: The Penguin Press, a member of the penguin grou Inc, 2006 April 23, 2012

·         Ronald J Adams. “Fast Food and Animal Rights: An examination and assessment of the industry’s Response to Social Pressure”Oviatt Library. California State university, Northridge, C.A. April 25,2012

·         "Chickens Used for Food | PETA.org." People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): The animal rights organization | PETA.org. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, 12 Feb. 2003. Web. 11 May 2012.